Outerwear garments can generally be classified into two distinct categories: "upper" garments that cover a person's torso (between the neck and the waist) and "lower" garments that cover a persons body from the waist downward. A shirt or blouse is exemplary of upper garments. Trousers, pants, "bottoms" (as in the lower part of an athletic warm-up suit) and shorts are exemplary of lower garments. In the main hereinafter, shorts are discussed as exemplary of lower outerwear garments.
As shown in FIG. 1, shorts 100 typically have a front portion which may be formed of two generally-rectangular panels 102a and 102b joined (stitched together) by a seam 102c, and a back portion which may be formed of two generally rectangular panels 104a and 104b joined (stitched together) by a seam 104c. The front and back portions of the shorts are joined (stitched) to one another at their outer edges 106 and 108. In this manner, a relatively large opening 110 is formed at the top (as viewed and as worn) of the shorts for accommodating a person's waist. The inner edges of the corresponding front and back panels 102a/104a and 102b/104b are joined (stitched) together by a two seams 116 and 118, respectively, said seams commencing at the bottom edges 112, 114 of the panels and extending only partially towards the top opening 110. This forms two leg portions of the shorts 100 which fit about a person's upper thighs. Pockets (not shown) are typically provided in the shorts, extending from openings (not shown) disposed at or near the side edges 106 and 108 of the shorts. If the leg portions were longer, the shorts would be considered to be pants or trousers.
Typically, as shown in FIG. 1A, a waistband 120 is formed at the periphery of the top opening 110 by folding a peripheral region of the respective panels (102a, 102b, 104a, 104b) back upon themselves and joining (stitching) the top edge of the respective panel (stitches indicated as 124). An elongated elastic band 122 may be disposed within the resulting tubular passageway formed by folding the edges over. The waistband is defined by the seam of stitches 124, and is typically approximately one-inch in height (as viewed in the figure).
Pants (e.g., shorts) pockets may (or may not) include means for closing off the pocket (e.g., buttons, zippers, hook-and-loop type fasteners). In the absence of such means for closing off the pockets, the contents of the pockets (e.g., keys, money) are not securely retained within the pockets. This is especially troublesome for an active wearer, since activity (e.g., running) itself may cause contents to fall out of an unclosed pocket.
FIG. 2 illustrates a representative storage pouch 200 of the prior art, sometimes called a "fanny" pack (although the pouch is often worn so that it is disposed on the person's front side, rather than on the person's back side) such as has gained popularity in recent years. Generally, a pouch 202 is attached to a belt 204 and is intended to be worn about a person's waist so that the pouch 202 hangs downward from the person's waist. Each end of the belt is provided with a means 206, 208 for fastening the ends of the belt to one another, and there is typically provided a means (not shown) for adjusting the circumference of the belt so that it fits properly around the person's waist. The pouch 202 is provided with one or more zippers 210 (one shown) allowing the user access into the interior of the pouch for securely storing personal items such as money, keys, credit cards, sunglasses, and the like. In use, a person would wear the fanny pack 200 approximately over the waistband of their pants (e.g., shorts). In this manner, the user is provided with storage pouch for transporting personal items, on their person. Such a separate and distinct storage pouch 200, however, is typically of a color and/or design that may clash with (i.e., be dissimilar from) the color and/or design of the person's pants (shorts), can easily be misplaced or lost, or unlatched (removed) by vandals, may tend to sag which requires the user to re-adjust the belt of the storage pouch, and which can catch (snag) on other, extraneous objects such as doorknobs.